The Occultist
by Starla19
Summary: Greg Sanders day is about to get a whole lot better with the arrival of an extra team member who just happens to drive his favourite car.... CHAPTERS 3 AND 4 ADDED! Please R R!
1. Default Chapter

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Characters. They are owned by CBS/Alliance Atlantis/Momentum Pictures (add any other production companies I missed out here) I do however own me aka Melanie-Louise. So hands off. _

_Outside In the parking lot_

Greg Sanders stumbled into CSI. He'd fallen asleep, without setting his alarm. He'd woken up and realising the time, jumped straight into his Mercedes and driven at speeds double the limit to get to work.

"Man I hope I don't get a ticket" he mumbled to himself as he reverse parked his car, though not really acknowledging the speed he had just been driving at. He checked himself in the mirror, his hair was messier than usual, the bags under his eyes blacker than usual. Apart from that, he decided, he looked fine.

"Talking to yourself again Sanders?" laughed Warrick. He'd left his cell phone in his SUV and had returned to get it. He'd amused himself for the past few minutes by watching Gregs attempts to reverse park his car.

"Um, yeah, maybe…." Greg replied, not really understanding what Warrick had just said.

"C'mon, lets go get some of that coffee of yours cos hell if im drinking anything out of that machine again" Warrick replied, playfully hitting Greg.

_In the break room_

"Im glad you could join us" smiled Grissom as a now more awake Greg took his seat at the table next to Nick.

"Yeah, sorry about that boss" He apologised.

"Ok, now everybody's here…. " Grissom began.

All of a sudden, the door bolted open. Eckley came barging in.

"No time for a team meeting, we have a 419 a few blocks from here" he panted, clearly short of breath from running down the hall from dispatch.

"Nice to see you too Eckley, I was just giving out the assignments" Grissom replied not looking up from his papers.

"All assignments are officialy backlogged, I need all of you at this 419, now"

"All of us? At one 419? Whats so special?" Questioned Sarah.

"13 dead bodies"

The team looked at each other, before heading out.

_At the crime scene_

"Am I the only one a little creeped out by this?" Questioned Greg. He had just pulled up outside the crime scene, and was checking to see if anyone else looked at least a little creeped out.

The team had just arrived, and were for the moment, simply looking at their crime scene. It was an old victorian house, derelict for years according to city records. It looked like it might cave in at any moment.

"Well, we'd better get inside" Suggested Catherine, picking up her kit.

"Hold on there Cath" Replied Brass. He was walking from his car with a look of concern on his face, more so than usual.

"Jim, let me in my crime scene" She smiled politely. She hated it when cops were difficult with her when all she wanted to do was get on and do her job.

"Theres one more person who needs to be here first" Brass replied, looking over his shoulder.

Catherine looked around- all of the team were there, even a couple of day shifters. She couldn't imagine who else needed to be here, it was getting pretty cramped as it was.

_On the driveway_

"You guys here that?" questioned Nick.

A unmistakable sound filled the air- an engine. Not just any engine. Nick turned to Warrick and Greg.

"Gentleman, do you hear what I hear?"

The guys looked at each other, the knew exactly what he was talking about.

Catherine looked over at them.

"What?" She questioned.

"That is the unmistakable engine sound of a Bentley Continental GT" Nick smiled, and turning to his left, the afore mentioned car came into sight, and pulled up into the crime scene. It was black, and brand new.

The car parked, the team approached it. The door opened and out-stepped a young woman. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. She had shoulder length dark hair, green eyes and pale skin. She wore a black skinni t shirt and jeans.

Grissom spotted the young woman, tutting to himself at the lack of security surrounding the crime scene. Sometimes it seemed all it took to get past cops was a pretty face.

"Miss, this is a crime scene, You cant be here" Grissom said sternly,

"Ah, Gill Grissom. Allow me to introduce myself…" she smiled, getting out of the car, looking around at a team of confused faces. She continued in a soft British accent.

"Im Melanie-Louise, I'm an occultist. I was requested by Captain Brass in reference to a homicide that took place here tonight"

"Jim!" Called Grissom. He hated being kept out of the loop, but surely there had to be some kind of mix up- this girl only looked about eighteen years old.

Brass excused himself from Catherine and walked towards the driveway.

"Yeah Grissom"

"You called an occultist?" he questioned.

"Yes. If you'd step foot into that crime scene, you would have too"

He looked questioningly at Jim. Grissom wasn't exactly a believer In the occult he was a scientist. Science would solve this crime, not someone who studied something, which for him, didn't really exist.

While he and Jim discussed the issue, the boys couldn't resist having a closer look at the new arrival.

"Nice wheels" Smiled Greg.

"Thanks" she smiled. "Im Melanie-Louise"

"So we just heard " he replied. "No offence but…."

She looked at them, she knew exactly what they were about to say.

"Before we get started, lets just clear a few things up. Im 21years old, im not a teenager. Im not some freaky goth chick. Im a graduate from Oxford and yes, im aware im driving the world fastest coupe. Oh and no, being an occultist does not pay that well"

She looked at them, they were all looking at each other wondering how someone so, normal looking and polite could be so…… up-front.

"So explain how a 21year old occultist gets her well groomed self a Bentley Continental GT?" Greg question. If she was determined to be up-front, so was he.

"Hard work"

"But you just said…?" he replied, getting confused

"I know, but I didn't say hard work as an occultist, did i?" She smiled, walking off towards the house.

"That was interesting" smiled Nick

"Uhm-hmm" replied Warrick,

"She's smart. And hot. I like her" Said Greg in a matter-of-fact manner.

**_Please read and review, if you do, you can find out more about the mysterious Melanie-Louise...!_**


	2. The Order of Issasi

_As promised, the story is hereby continued…. _

_Nb: All 'occult' references are fictitious. This is to prevent any arguments!_

Gil Grissom was not happy. Not only had Brass gone behind his back and requested an occultist, he now realised that he might actually need her because science it seemed could only explain some of what lay before him.

Thirteen dead bodies lay before him, in a circle. Their blood had secreted from the exact same spot, the heart, and had bled into the circle. Given that the average human had eight pints of blood, that was a lot of blood on the floor. Most of it still wet, fresh, suggesting what had gone on here had only happened a few hours previous, as the blood had not yet solidified, and the bodies had not yet given in to rigor mortis.

"Hey" a now familiar voice called. She stepped in the room and stopped.

"So, I guess this is your area of, expertise" Grissom replied, the idea of someone so young being an expert in anything slightly paining him.

"Something like that" she replied casually.

Another set of footsteps could be heard. The door opened, Greg entered the room, camera in hand. He smiled at Melanie, before turning to Grissom.

"Cath sent me to take photos"

"Ok" Grissom replied, standing up. "Im going to have a look around the rest of the house."

As he walked past Greg, he said lighlty "Keep an eye on her"

"I heard that" replied Melanie, turning around.

"This is a crime scene, it needs to be just as it happened" He replied defensively.

"I know that. Look I know im young but that doesn't make me stupid and I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me as such" She replied slightly annoyed.

Greg began taking photos. Grissom left the room.

"Whats with the blood from the heart?" Greg questioned.

"The heart is a very powerful thing, both physically and spiritually. Its long been considered a sacred part of the human physique, and occult ritual. Longer than the pair of us put together I might even say" she smiled.

Greg liked her humour. Humour was the one thing that stopped criminalists from becoming overwhelmed by the death they saw everyday.

"So, how exactly does one become an occultist, and why?" He questioned, still snapping away.

"Lots of studying and hard work." She replied, moving towards the centre of the circle. "As for the why, its different for everyone. For me, I guess its just the chance to work with something much older than any of us can really comprehend. Something that isnt fact based. Fact is what man has declared true, the occult is deeper, richer than that"

Greg was taken in by her response, it was clear she was passionate about what she did, and that she had strong views. All admirable traits in his eyes.

"That was quite a speech you made outside" He smirked, thinking back.

She turned, and smiled- then laughed, "I know, im sorry. Its just I get tired of people thinking im too young to do my job, you get it right?"

"Yeah, I do. Im surrounded by CSI level 3 and 4 all day. Its difficult to make your opinion count when your level one"

"Yes, but dont ever stop thinking it matters. They were all level one once y'know"

He smiled, before clearing his throat. "What does this mean?" He said, pointing to a symbol that seemed to be on one of the victims forearms. It wasn't a tatoo, it had been almost carved, with some sort of sharp instrument.

Mel stepped over to have a closer look. She stared at it for a few minutes_. It cant be_ she thought. _Impossible_. She was looking at a symbol that was thousands of years old, nothing new there. She was also staring at a symbol which represented something long forgotten.

"It cant be" She finally spoke. "Makes no sense"

"What doesn't"

"This…… this symbol. It represents the order of Issasi, a religious order that ended over two thousand years ago."

"Well, they've clearly made a comeback" He replied, out-stretching his hand.

"Its not possible. They were all burnt as suspected witches. They werent witches, they were much more than that. When they died, everything about the order died with them except for the small amount of knowledge obtained by the council but that's not enough for someone to revise the order"

Greg was trying to follow, but even for him, this was a bit 'out there'.

"What does it all mean?"

"It means Greg, that thirteen people just died for nothing"


	3. A Mass Suicide?

"What do you mean thirteen people just died for nothing?" Replied Greg, sounding confused.

She stood up.

"From the little information the council has, we know the order of Issasi existed for one purpose- self sacrifice. They believed that sacrificing themselves in a specific ritual would heal the world, so-to-speak. They did it on a rare occurrence, the one night when all the planets align. Problem was, their calculations were off. The planets were not aligned, and so the whole ritual was pointless."

Greg didn't know what to say, keeping pace with this whole occult ritual thing was proving difficult.

"Are you saying then that if the planets had been in order, it would have worked?"

"What would have worked?"

The door opened, Grissom entered. He had been checking other parts of the house but hadnt found anything of importance. Mel explained to Grissom what she had just told Greg. He was dubious to say the least.

"So they killed themselves to save the world, but they do it on the wrong day? It seems odd that they would go to such lengths to then go and make a simple mistake"

"It wasn't their mistake. It was the astronomers. They mis-calculated. It was two thousand years ago, no one questioned things back then"

"Well im questioning this" Grissom said flatly.

"Fine" she said, packing her kit. She was used to disbelief, but it still didn't make her feel any better. She turned and left.

_Outside_

"Mel, wait up!" Called Greg.

She stopped, and turned around.

"Why did you leave?"

"Ive done my job, ive interpreted the evidence and your boss doesn't believe me. There's nothing more I can do"

"Is just Grissom, he's….. a scientist. He likes to find a logical explanation"

"And mine isnt?"

"Not to him, but that doesn't mean its not"

She sighed.

"It doesn't matter. It will be declared a mass suicide and the world will move on"

"It matters to you"

"I wish that mattered more"

"It does- remember what you said to me? That my CSI level one opinion counts just as much as these three and fours?"

She smiled. "I knew that would come back to haunt me, pardon the pun"

"Well then!"

Greg smiled, before grabbing his kit and heading back to CSI. She stood there a while, thinking about both the crime scene and Greg, one more so than the other. She smiled to herself, before getting in her car. She had work to do.

_In the coroners office_

"They were stabbed" Doc Robbins declared.

Greg sanders was looking at one of his thirteen dead bodies. He couldn't believe quite what he was hearing.

"That makes no sense. Melanie said this was a result of a ritual of self sacrifice" He retorted.

"Maybe, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Take a look" Replied Doc Robbins, pointing to the chest wound.

Greg inspected the wound. The angle and tissue did seem to suggest that the injuries were not self inflicted.

"So, someone tried to cover up a mass murder by making it look like an occult ritual?"

"That's your area. Im ruling cause of death as a blood force trauma, that was not self inflicted"

Greg looked at the victims hands.

"There's no defence wounds. So what these people just let themselves get stabbed?"

"Again, not my area"

Greg stormed out, annoyed and confused.

"Aren't you a little old for tantrums Greg?"

He looked up, Sara was looking back at him.

"Im not having a tantrum, im just confused"

Greg ushered Sara into the breakroom and told her all about Melanies theory and the contradicting evidence.

"Greg, you know you have to follow the evidence. Simple as"

"I know Sara but something is off, and I'm going to find out what"

_What's Gregs plan? Read and Review to find out!_


	4. Unravelling The Mystery

Melanie sat in the break room alone, thinking. _Who on earth has enough knowledge to revive the order? _She thought over and over till she couldn't stop the words rolling around her mind. She was lost in thought, drinking diet coke until a voice brought her back to reality.

"Mel!"

She turned around and met familiar chocolate brown eyes. _God he's cute _she thought silently. She felt her heart beat speed up a little as she stared at him. _I wonder what its like to kiss him….._ she wondered, before bringing herself back down to earth,_ like that's ever going to happen_ she reminded herself.

"Can I help you Greg?" she finally spoke.

"I hope so"

He sat down, not too close. She was beautiful, but not in a supermodel kind of way. She had a look, of innocence. Maybe it was the fact she wasn't wearing any make-up, or maybe it was her features- he wasn't sure. What he was sure of was that she was a mystery just dieing to be unravelled.

"So….?" She ushered

"The coroner says that the wounds were not self-inflicted. He says they were stabbed, which is in line with the angle and depth of the wounds."

"What? That's really odd. I was so sure that…."

"What?"

"That it was the Issasi ritual of self sacrifice- but even I cant argue with science. Something went on there but im not so sure it had anything to do with the occult now…"

_Maybe she's right _he thought to himself. _Maybe its just good old fashioned homicide. But why make it look like self sacrifice, and why make it look like an occult ritual?_

"But why make it look like that ritual? Why that one?" she spoke aloud.

"I was just thinking that!" Greg exclaimed- realising he had been just a little too enthusiastic in his response. He also realised he was barely a feet away from her now.

They looked at each other for a few minutes. Something was happening between them- but neither of them could say what it was, or rather, neither of them wanted to admit how they felt. They had only met a few hours ago but they had a deep connection to one another that couldn't be denied.

Mels phone rang. Greg could tell by her expression something was really wrong. He also noticed she had a baby pink cellphone.

"Nice cell!" he smiled

She laughed.

"Pink is actually my favourite colour- just don't tell anyone" she replied, whilst putting a finger to his lips. _Oh my god what am I doing? _She screamed silently.

Greg couldn't take it anymore- he stood up, took her arm, before slowly tilting his head. He kissed her lightly, not sure of how she would respond. She kissed him back, her body shaking and unable to stop.

"Mel, im so…." Greg stuttered

"Don't you dare say sorry… because im not"

"Really? Cos you know im not really that forward but um i…"

"Couldn't resist?"

"You just…. look so…… innocent- something about you, I don't know" he began to reply, unable to form a decent sentence.

"Just promise me one thing?"

"Ok?"

"Don't ever leave me alone. Please "

Greg took her hands into his, thinking it was an unusual request, but one he was willing to honour.

"Promise"

"Oh my god the phone call!" she suddenly called out, breaking the moment

"Oh yeah whats going on with that?"

"That was London calling. Someone has been accessing classified files on the order"

"Someone?"

"Well… not just someone…"

"Who?"

"Me"

_Whats going on? Read and review and all will be revealed….!_


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